Opinions are like ….
I feel very privileged to have been asked to become a brand ambassador for EEQUINE after meeting her at my sister’s yard. We just booked a session on Mechanical Millie. I didn’t feel that I had anything to offer, I didn’t regularly compete and my horse isn’t the most consistent (very opinionated) but on occasion he can pull it out the bag as they say!
Emily said I was a natural rider that took to Millie quicker than most people especially as it was my
first session. During which I was explaining that I have become very body aware due to having a
collapsed disc in my lumbar spine, spondylosis as well as Crohn’s Disease which makes riding my
horse, Bertie, somewhat challenging.
Those who know Bertie know that he is like Marmite; fortunately for him, I adore him. We have
attended many competitions since I bought him in 2011 and not many of them have been successful
in the traditional sense of being in the ribbons. It is because of Bertie that I have had to learn how to
focus and care about not caring what others think; to set my own goals and not measure my
achievements against other people.
I have been the target of unpleasant opinions on more than one occasion at events in the past even
though I had put the hours in at home there is no guarantee Bertie will be compliant or amenable on
the day. This has given me a slightly thicker skin and the confidence to be happy focussing on the
positives from the day (however small these may be!) – after all, people are intrinsically only
interested in themselves and not how their comment may have caused upset.
Just remember, opinions are like bum holes – everybody has one but they shouldn’t be foisted on others …
I’m incredibly proud of how far Bertie and I have come over the years. Keep focused on your goals
and have a plan to achieve them, at the end of the day what matters is the partnership between you
and your horse. These goals don’t have to be geared towards competitions but can be anything
from groundwork, hacking, schooling or stable management.
Written by S. Holland Brand Ambassador for EEQUINE
Check out some other blogs from our ambassador.